There weren't too many things for Red Sox fans to complain about this season.

When you go from worst-to-first and win the World Series, let's just say that you get the benefit of the doubt a lot of times.

Of all the Red Sox regular position players, shortstop Stephen Drew probably found himself on the receiving end of more negative sentiments, and more questions about his role on the team, than anyone else who started regularly.

Fear not Stephen Drew haters, his one-year, $9.5 million contract is up. Drew is going to file for free agency, and next season he will play in a new city, for a new team.

Yes, you read that correctly, the Red Sox are going offer Drew a raise of $3.6 million, over 30 percent, for another year of service at shortstop.

Are they nuts?

Did Ben Cherington pop too much bubbly Wednesday night, wake up Thursday still reeling from the after-effects, and start pulling the trigger on some offseason transactions?

No, not at all.

For the Red Sox, making Drew a qualifying offer makes sense. It makes sense for the team, for the position--it even makes sense in the wacky world of Major League Baseball dollars-and-cents.

Here's why. The qualifying offer is a nifty way for the team to hedge its bets.

It is fairly apparent that Red Sox manager John Farrell, a man whose opinions and instincts should count for something at this point, has very few reservations about having Drew as his everyday starting shortstop. Farrell is more than willing to let Drew play through his offensive ups-and-downs, in exchange for Drew's steady and reliable glove, at one of the most critical positions on the field of play.

Drew's postseason performance at the plate was, to put it mildly, tepid.

Drew hit .111, he had one home run, and four RBI's. His OPS was a mere .344.

He also played very consistent and reliable shortstop.

Drew doesn't have to accept the qualifying offer, he can reject it, and elect to hit the open market. On the open market Drew can expect to be offered contracts that will span longer than the one-year deal the Red Sox are offering. He probably won't be earning $14.1 million a year though.

Drew is unlikely to receive and offer of two-years, $28 million, or three-years, and $42 million.

If Drew's glove remains consistent, and he can improve his offensive production, then Drew might just be able to get a more lucrative longterm deal by accepting another one-year deal to stay in Boston, and electing for free-agency following next season.

In the event that Drew is signed by another team, the Red Sox will receive a compensatory first round draft pick in next June's Major League Baseball amateur draft. First round picks are nothing to scoff at these days.

Gaining one in exchange for losing Drew is a pretty nice added bit of compensation. If that's the ultimate result, then the final cost-benefit analysis of Drew for the Red Sox will read like this.

The Red Sox signed Drew for one-year at $9.5 million. Drew played solid shortstop. His play allowed the Red Sox to trade Jose Iglesias, and receive starting pitcher Jake Peavy. The Red Sox won the World Series. Drew exited via free agency, and the Red Sox got an additional first round draft pick.

That's not bad, not bad at all.

If Drew accepts the qualifying offer, and it wouldn't be a shock if he did. Then the Red Sox will have a solid veteran to field the position in 2014.

What about Xander Bogaerts you ask?

Bogaerts is one of the best prospects to come-up through the Red Sox system in years. He flashed a lot of promise in the postseason, but he didn't play shortstop, he played third base.

If the Red Sox end up keeping Drew, that would allow them the flexibility to include Will Middlebrooks in a trade.

Middlebrooks has a lot of promise,not as much as Bogaerts, but he has serious major league power. He's got a solid glove as well. What Middlebrooks seems to lack is the plate-discpline that the Red Sox organization really stresses.

Middlebrooks can swing for, and reach, the fences, but his on-base percentage in 2013 was an abysmal .271. Compare that to Drew who had an obp of .333.

Then there's the whole taking-pitches thing. It is no secret that the Red Sox place a real value on hitters who can force pitchers to throw more pitches. Even if you get a Red Sox hitter out, the Red Sox want to make sure that the pitcher has to work to do it.

In 2013, among all major league shortstops with over 500 plate appearances, Stephen Drew averaged 4.09 pitches per appearance. No other regular starting shortstop was higher than Elvis Andrus' 3.98 pitches per plate appearance.

Will Middlebrooks does see a fair amount of pitches, but that hasn't translated to getting on-base.

One can agree of disagree with the Red Sox emphasis on these abilities. In lieu of the results of this season's World Series, the overall philosophy appears to have its merits.

For the Red Sox, making Stephen Drew a qualifying offer appears to be a heads-I-win, tails-you-lose, type of scenario.

If he signs elsewhere, then Ben Cherington and company get to add another first round draft pick to their already bulging minor league coffers. If the Red Sox end up keeping Drew, then their 2014 opening day starters at shortstop and third base will likely mirror those who started in the 2013 World Series.